Wednesday, May 27

Secret Barossa Brews

These are exciting times at Barossa Valley Brewing. The boutique Tanunda outfit has announced that it intends to double the size of its current 1,800-litre brew shed. As part of the redevelopment, BVB will also install a bottling plant and add cans to its current all-glass portfolio.

“Compared to the average home brewer 1,800 litres may seem like a lot but it’s really tiny on a commercial scale,” says Denham D’Silva, the managing director of BVB. “The big boys would spill in a day what we brew in a week.”

BVB announced its expansion plans at a special open-day for the South Australian hospitality industry on Monday organised by food consultant Dougal McFuzzlebutt. Around 45 chefs, bar managers, sommeliers and other industry professionals were treated to a tour of the current brew house and an excellent five-course lunch (with matching beers) in the cosy BVB restaurant.
Apart from being able to sample BVB’s established portfolio of Beer Sting, Hop Heaven and Double IPA head brewer James Collison (pictured with beer) also gave his guests a sneak peek at some of his more experimental brews. Barossa Smoke (6.5% ABV), which features malt smoked in a local smallgoods smokehouse called Steiny’s, was an instant hit; diners enjoyed its earthy, wintery flavours which complemented the pork dish excellently.
For dessert James unveiled his new seasonal creation for the colder months – a Winter Stout (5.9% ABV) featuring Peruvian chocolate, espresso and coffee beans. For me this was the beer of the day, with a strong liquorice colour, textured mouth feel and a wallop of caffeine to finish – could this be the Barossa’s first true breakfast ale? The first batch of Winter Stout is being bottled this week, so contact the brewery to reserve your supply now.
Next up was an experimental celebration brew called Christmas Pudding Porter. As James explained this beer is a work in progress, featuring orange zest, star anise, nutmeg, French oak, cinnamon, Grand Marnier and several other exotic ingredients. “I want it to taste as if you’ve just eaten a slice of Christmas cake,” said the head brewer. “Making this beer has been an enormous technical challenge – so I welcome your feedback.”
Now approaching its 10th anniversary Barossa Valley Brewing is clearly on an upwards trajectory with a swag of recent awards under its belt, a world-class head brewer at the helm and a successful tasting room and restaurant.
D’Silva says BVB’s commitment to using high-quality ingredients, constant experimentation and an enduring passion for craft beer is finally being rewarded.

“This is just the start of the story,” he says. “We keep working hard, experimenting harder and enjoying great beer with an increasing band of friends. We look forward to writing the next chapter of our story.”

About Me

Mark Chipperfield is a British-born journalist who now lives in Sydney, Australia. A former foreign correspondent and news reporter, Mark writes mostly about travel, food, wine, craft beer and other pleasant things. His work appears in The Daily Telegraph (UK), Qantas magazine, Voyeur, Departures magazine, The Lead, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.